lillybelle
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Posts: 36
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« Reply #30 on: October 01, 2008, 09:52:05 PM » |
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One space with a word processor is the same as two on a typewriter. Non-proportional fonts are smart enough to make the spaces after periods longer than those between words. So if you use two in Word, that's probably the equivalent of three on a typewriter.
Now can anyone tell me why some people put spaces before periods and commas?
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octoprof
Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 30,809
Life is short. Love your loved ones while you can.
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« Reply #31 on: October 01, 2008, 09:53:25 PM » |
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Now can anyone tell me why some people put spaces before periods and commas?
Because they have a thumbtwitch? |
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It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. Professor Dumbledore
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generalist_j
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« Reply #32 on: October 01, 2008, 11:03:57 PM » |
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With proportional fonts, the extra space is superfluous.
The truth. Plain and simple. GJ, teaching his comp students the truth ever since he saw the truth himself. |
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« Last Edit: October 01, 2008, 11:04:32 PM by generalist_j »
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fiona
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« Reply #33 on: October 02, 2008, 01:30:31 AM » |
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This is all puzzling to me. I've used one space all my life, and I started on a manual typewriter just after Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from the mountain, and we all realized that chiseling things on stone was too laborious. Two spaces made it worse.
The Fiona
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The Fiona or perhaps La Fiona
Professor of Thread Killing, Fiork University
The Right Reverend Fiona, PhD, Bishop of the Fora
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t_r_b
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« Reply #34 on: October 02, 2008, 02:11:44 AM » |
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This is all puzzling to me. I've used one space all my life, and I started on a manual typewriter just after Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from the mountain, and we all realized that chiseling things on stone was too laborious. Two spaces made it worse.
The Fiona
What's so puzzling? In this as in so much else, The Fiona was ahead of her time. |
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If you want to be zen, then stay in the freaking moment.
A lot of the people posting on this thread need to go out and get kohlrabi.
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secretweapon
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« Reply #35 on: October 02, 2008, 04:34:00 AM » |
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Nobody uses three unless crack has been smoked.
According to the latest MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, "Because it is increasingly common for papers and manuscripts to be prepared with a single space after all concluding punctuation marks, this spacing is shown in the examples in this handbook. As a practical matter, however, there is nothing wrong with using two spaces after concluding punctuation marks unless an instructor requests that you do otherwise." Granted, this is directed to students.
As for me, I will stop using two spaces after a period when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the space bar.
BGH, I hope you don't mind if I borrow that! I couldn't agree more. |
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If you want a cookie, bake a cookie.
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unnamed
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« Reply #36 on: October 02, 2008, 04:50:49 AM » |
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I was taught one finger-space between words, and two between sentences.
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grasshopper
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« Reply #37 on: October 02, 2008, 06:13:49 AM » |
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I was taught one finger-space between words, and two between sentences.
So was I. In high school, before computers, when an electric typewriter was the height of technological savvy. The world has changed. Alas. |
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prof_smartypants
Treasure-pilferin' and grog-swillin'
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,640
Kiss the baby!
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« Reply #38 on: October 02, 2008, 09:13:29 AM » |
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I was taught one finger-space between words, and two between sentences.
So was I. In high school, before computers, when an electric typewriter was the height of technological savvy. The world has changed. Alas. Exactly. Then I went to college, and learned that lots of things I thought were "truth" in High School were not so. |
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Welcome to college, motherf*cker.
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big_giant_head
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« Reply #39 on: October 02, 2008, 09:27:19 AM » |
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Nobody uses three unless crack has been smoked.
According to the latest MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, "Because it is increasingly common for papers and manuscripts to be prepared with a single space after all concluding punctuation marks, this spacing is shown in the examples in this handbook. As a practical matter, however, there is nothing wrong with using two spaces after concluding punctuation marks unless an instructor requests that you do otherwise." Granted, this is directed to students.
As for me, I will stop using two spaces after a period when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the space bar.
BGH, I hope you don't mind if I borrow that! I couldn't agree more. It's an honor. And possibly, a Forum Rite of Passage. |
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carthago can haz delenda
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pink_
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« Reply #40 on: October 02, 2008, 09:39:42 AM » |
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Nobody uses three unless crack has been smoked.
According to the latest MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, "Because it is increasingly common for papers and manuscripts to be prepared with a single space after all concluding punctuation marks, this spacing is shown in the examples in this handbook. As a practical matter, however, there is nothing wrong with using two spaces after concluding punctuation marks unless an instructor requests that you do otherwise." Granted, this is directed to students.
As for me, I will stop using two spaces after a period when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the space bar.
BGH, I hope you don't mind if I borrow that! I couldn't agree more. Two spaces. My student papers are confusing enough to read without the added visual confusion of the post-period-single-space. What's even worse is when they decide to center justify, so: there are spaces this big between words so that the line fills the page. |
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« Last Edit: October 02, 2008, 09:40:04 AM by pink_lady »
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Horses don't have seatbelts. Listen to Pink, she's smart.
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pink_
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« Reply #41 on: October 02, 2008, 09:40:24 AM » |
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drat, that worked on preview.
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Horses don't have seatbelts. Listen to Pink, she's smart.
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big_giant_head
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« Reply #42 on: October 02, 2008, 10:12:33 AM » |
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It still worked.
I agree about student confusion, actually. I've had them ask me, after I told them to double space their papers, if I meant putting two spaces after a period.
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carthago can haz delenda
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infopri
I guess I'm now a VERY
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 17,917
When all else fails, let us agree to disagree.
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« Reply #43 on: October 02, 2008, 10:45:10 AM » |
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I remain firmly in the two-space camp, and will until the day I die. However, I think this is one of those Mac/PC arguments: We have each chosen a way that works for us. And, let's face it, it doesn't really matter, as long as (1) we're consistent, and (2) our editors (or other Powers That Be) are happy.
As for students, I'm just happy when they put any space at all after a terminal punctuation mark.
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if there's a next time, I'll remind myself I don't need to engage.
MYOB. Y enseņen bien a sus hijos. (with thanks to cronopio) |
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octoprof
Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 30,809
Life is short. Love your loved ones while you can.
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« Reply #44 on: October 02, 2008, 10:48:17 AM » |
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Nobody uses three unless crack has been smoked.
According to the latest MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, "Because it is increasingly common for papers and manuscripts to be prepared with a single space after all concluding punctuation marks, this spacing is shown in the examples in this handbook. As a practical matter, however, there is nothing wrong with using two spaces after concluding punctuation marks unless an instructor requests that you do otherwise." Granted, this is directed to students.
As for me, I will stop using two spaces after a period when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the space bar.
BGH, I hope you don't mind if I borrow that! I couldn't agree more. Two spaces. My student papers are confusing enough to read without the added visual confusion of the post-period-single-space. What's even worse is when they decide to center justify, so: there are spaces this big between words so that the line fills the page. Full Justify is a creation of Hell. I understand why they do it in newspapers, but it doesn't belong in a regular sized document! |
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It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. Professor Dumbledore
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